There are few things more painful than when Christian friendships go wrong. I have thought about this a lot over the years as I have had my share of friendships that have gone up in flames like they were doused with gasoline. Does this resonate with you? No matter how many times it has happened to me, the pain has …
Faith Outreach
Our Role in God’s Kingdom
I always talk about how much I love Peter. He says exactly what’s on his mind to a fault and in my opinion seems to be the most vulnerable, mistake-filled, raw disciple in the Bible. I think that’s why I love him and why he resonates most with me. In every instance it seems that Peter meant well, yet in …
Faith
Uzzah’s Fatal Touch
I would have stopped the Ark of the Covenant from falling on the ground. And I would have perished for it. There are times I think of Uzzah in Scripture and consider the severity of something that seemed so innocent. 1 Chronicles 13:9-10 reads, “And when they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzzah put out his hand to …
Faith hope trials
God Creates Hope From Ruin
There are lessons that have substantially changed my thinking. Moments where the Lord has taught me important truths about Him and about redemption. One thing that I have learned over and over about the Lord’s design is that there is always hope in the most broken circumstances. Even sin and absolute ruin is redeemable by God. Not just redeemable though…made …
Faith Pain suffering trials
Does God Care about Our Pain and Suffering?
Everywhere we look there is chaos… Afghanistan… Haiti… COVID… I imagine as things seem to be falling apart around the world, people are wondering, “Where is God?” It is a reasonable question as it can appear that He is silent, permitting suffering to happen that by nature, we are told He has the power to prevent and control. Yet in …
difficult doctrines evangelism Faith Repentance
Becoming John the Baptist
Have you ever really thought about what it must have been like to be John the Baptist? I have thought about it many times over the years…I even considered writing a book about him. I find him to be one of the most fascinating people in Judeo-Christian history. I don’t know how often we think about the modern times that …
difficult doctrines Faith
Should Christians Talk About Hell?
“He also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, …
Faith trials
It Was Always Faith
I had over 50 symptoms of damage relating to my brain injury and most of these symptoms were extremely distressing and disturbing. The damage caused me to live in utter confusion and in a very real way, lose sense of reality. I had cognitive loss resulting in problems with memory and time, physical damage resulting in pain and seizures, emotional …
Faith Pain suffering
A Messy Faith
As some of you already know, this last year and a half has been very difficult on my family and I. In the beginning of this year I suffered from a traumatic brain injury that was so difficult and distressing that I have begun to see a trauma counselor to help me process and heal. I find myself not who …
Faith Pain suffering trials
When God Seems Scary
How do I trust God again? That’s the question I keep on asking myself. I keep on reading all these books on suffering from brilliant men and women whose greatest trials seem overwhelmingly insignificant. I don’t want to hear someone tell me to trust the Lord when their greatest difficulty still allows for breaks and downtime. I have no downtime …